His seminar begins at 4:10 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6 in Room 122, Briggs Hall, and also will be on Zoom. The Zoom link:
https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/95882849672
"Growers consider soilborne disease management one of their main production issues," Hong writes in his abstract. "It is estimated that members of the soilborne pest complex (SPC), weeds, nematodes, fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, viruses, and protozoans, account for 10-20 percent crop loss annually worldwide. Methyl bromide was used to manage the SPC, however, it was discovered that it contributed to ozone depletion, thus was banned worldwide. Currently, no registered alternative chemical fumigant is as effective as methyl bromide for SPC management. Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is biologically based alternative to soil fumigation. ASD consists of amending the soil with a labile carbon source, tarping the soil with a plastic film, and watering the soil under the film to field capacity. During the ASD process the soil microbiome undergoes populations shifts and various anti-microbial compounds are produced. ASD has shown to be as effective as methyl bromide SPC management. This presentation will discuss the history of ASD and current research."
Hong holds a bachelor's degree in microbiology from The Ohio State University and received both his master's and doctorate in plant pathology from the University of Florida. He then served as a post doctoral fellow at West Virginia University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at USDA.
See his 2020 YouTube video in which he "discusses his path into the field of plant pathology, and the research that he currently conducts that is improving agricultural output in key food crops. Dr. Hong also highlights the key role that the USDA plays in modern society as the holder of more US patents than any other organization. Dr. Hong focuses his research presentation on techniques that he and his team are developing to increase food production by improving soil microbial health."
Seminar coordinator is Brian Johnson, associate professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. For Zoom technical issues, he may be reached at brnjohnson@ucdavis.edu. The list of seminars is posted here.